TVS Ronin: Explained In Images

The TVS Ronin mixes a retro-styled body with modern mechanicals. This bike is feature-packed, easy to handle in the city, and gets the daily commute right. TVS sells it in three variants. The core engine and chassis stay the same across the range, but there are quite a few feature and aesthetic differences as you move up the lineup. Here's a look at this bike through every frame: 

Styling

The overall look leans into a neo-retro roadster stance, but with a slightly raked-out front. The round headlamp goes with the retro aesthetics, especially with the funky offset instrument console. That said, the lighting system is all-LED. The side body panels are a bit boxy, though. 

Details:

• The T-shaped position lamp integrated into the headlight looks pretty neat and gives the bike a unique identity. 

• The tail lamp is LED, and it neatly integrates into the frame. That said, it’s a little too sleek to our liking, considering the rear fender and the seat are pretty beefy. 

• The wheels don’t fill out the wheel arches that well, so at some angles, it looks a bit underwhelming. 

• That said, the build quality and the attention to detail are pretty good.

Colours

The Base variant sticks to simpler, monotone paint schemes, while both the Mid and Top variants move to premium triple-tone paint schemes with different colour combinations. The fork also gets a colour change further up the range, with a black USD fork on the Base variant and a gold-finished USD fork on the Mid and Top variants. 

Comfort & Practicality

The riding position stays upright and relaxed, suited to both city use and longer rides. Switching direction also feels effortless. 

Details:

• Seat height sits at 795mm, with a kerb weight of 159kg on the Base and mid the top on the other hand is 1 kg heavier than these. It’s accessible and well-padded for long rides.

• While the pillion seat is good enough for commutes, the lack of a cushioned backrest or extra room means it’s not the best for long rides. 

• A 14-litre fuel tank should offer a reasonable range between fill-ups.

Engine And Underpinnings

Power comes from a 225.9cc, single-cylinder, air-oil-cooled engine, making 20.4PS and 19.93Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed gearbox and an assist-and-slipper clutch. This part of the bike doesn't change across variants.

Details:

• Unlike the Apache RTR 200, this one’s tuned for easy commutes.

• It has really good low-end grunt, and pair that with TVS’ low-rpm assist, and you’ve got a bike that makes light work of crawling traffic.

• It’s fairly efficient too, as we got a tested mileage of 42.95kmpl in the city, and 40.77kmpl on the highways.

• While the refinement levels are good, it doesn’t like to be pushed. There are vibrations beyond 90 km/h on the footpegs and on the handlebar, so it’s not the most ideal bike to cruise at triple-digit speeds. 

• The chassis feels pretty nimble in traffic as you can change directions easily. There’s good leverage from the handlebars. 

• The suspension is slightly on the firmer side, which aids in handling. 

Features

The circular full-LCD console packs in a lot more information than you’d expect. It’s also well-laid out without feeling too cluttered. Features vary by variant, and we’ve explained all TVS Ronin variants in detail.

Details:

• The Top variant gets TVS SmartXonnect with Bluetooth connectivity, offering turn-by-turn navigation, voice assist, call and SMS alerts, and ride statistics through the TVS Connect app. The Base and Mid variants use a fully digital instrument cluster without connected features.

• The display gets a distance-to-empty readout and a gear-shift indicator to help time upshifts and downshifts.

• A side-stand safety cutoff stops the bike from starting if the stand is still down.

• A low-rpm function (called Glide Through Technology) lets the bike creep forward in traffic without needing to work the throttle, with just the clutch modulation.

• A silent, light-touch electric starter is standard across the range.

• Brake and clutch levers are fixed on the Base and Mid variants, while the Top variant gets 3-step adjustable levers for both.

Brakes And Wheels

Braking is handled by a 300mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc across the range. The Base variant uses single-channel ABS, while both the Mid and Top variants step up to dual-channel ABS.

Details:

• All three variants offer Rain and Urban ABS modes, which change the intervention levels accordingly.

• Braking performance is decent; ABS is well-calibrated too. That said, we’d have liked it if it had a bit more initial bite.

• Tyres are tubeless throughout, with 110/70-17 tyres at the front and 130/70-17 tyres at the rear.

• They stay planted while cornering, but note that this isn’t a motorcycle that’s designed for sharp handling. So regular commutes and weekend rides will do just fine.